Daily Ooos: Tuesday, February 27

[faerywings]

Considering that I slept well last night I feel like I shouldn't be as drained as I am. OTOH, wow. What a crazy few days. *blinks*
My trip down to my parents was a little more stressful than I expected-- it was 29-30* and freezing rain the entire time. I know the roads like the back of my hand, having slid off them more than once in bad weather. *G*
I feel so bad for my parents, they went through hell with the scam. The scammers played every emotionally manipulative part they could- child porn charges/federal investigations/don't tell anyone in the family or they will be charged too. And this happened all in a few hours which meant my parents never had a chance to take a breath and *think.* They took out 10K in cash and were told to bring it to a Bitcoin ATM. And *poof* just like that it was gone. The scammers have been calling my parents on their cell phones and landline. I reported and blocked the numbers on their cells. Told them if they try on another # (and I think they will) to write down the number, and then report/block. These are people who don't understand tech at all.
The bank was another story and lemme tell you. I don't ever want to get on my SIL's bad side. I felt sort of bad for the bank officer at one point, she looked like she was going to cry. IMHO, I don't think she did anything wrong- she didn't have the knowledge and power to help. We finally got to speak to the actual branch manager who can't do anything to help recover the money. My parents took it out voluntarily and the teller asked the security questions (Would you prefer this in a cashier's check?" etc) but of course, the scammers had prepared them how to answer. But she was able to get a case number for the internal report so if Chase calls them, they will know that it is Chase Bank, not someone pretending to be.
I ran every scan and malware search on my dad's laptop and brought it home so Gary could get a better look at it.

The police have everything up to date- the scammers sent them QR codes to use so the police have them now, Kathy was able to get them off my dad's phone and forward them to the Officer on the case. My poor parents don't even know what QR codes are or how to use them. I showed them at a restaurant for the menu once and they understandably prefer old-school paper menus LOL

As of right now, I think my parents are holding on to a sliver of hope they will get the money back but realistically they know it's long gone.
Kathy and I both talked to the bank about some better prevention measures that the bank can take. We know that legally they can't refuse to give out cash to a customer but maybe they can be trained to ask more specific questions.

Anyway, that's the stripped-down version of the story. I got home right around 4.30 and had some cheese and crackers and a glass of wine for dinner.
Today I need to get my head on straight. I have so many things I need to work on and for the last two days, my only thoughts have been on my parents.

Wish me luck!

xo

 

[faerywings]

I reread my post and I feel like I am all over the place. At least it is better and more coherent than the email I sent to BFF yesterday. I don't think it would have qualified as English. She writes and copy edits for a school district and she must have been horrified by my grammar/spelling/general mismanagement of language hahaha!

@BrightEyes Do you have the right calendar set today? I almost wrote March in the subject line up there. I wish!
I hope that the winds aren't too bad and nothing blows over. Seems like you have the patio ready to go.
Did you get a new SD card or camera?


@vickyday good luck with the nystatin, hope it clears everything up soon. Can you take Excedrin for your head? That has caffeine and can help with the withdrawal part of your headache. A PJ day sounds wonderful! Hope you relaxed and feel lots better today!

@bcgal00 Have a wonderful trip! Good luck and be safe. ♥
Yup- the new president is the "chainsaw guy." He campaigned on cutting the budget and govt spending and had a chainsaw as a prop at his rallies.

@Cherylndesigns you are completely right, the scammers are ahead of the game every time which is why SIL and I thought that the banks need to step up their "security." They have laminated cards on the lobby desks that list the warning signs of a scam. I suggested that the tellers keep one in a frame/stand and if an elderly person is requesting a large cash withdrawal- push the list in front of them to read before they process the transaction. Maybe by the time the person gets to the bottom of the list, enough alarm bells will go off before they complete the withdrawal. My parents were told to not say anything to the bank or the tellers because *they* were being investigated internally. (My parents thought they were talking to the bank security division). And no surprise, each person we spoke to had several stories of their family members or themselves being scammed, or very close to it..
All I can think of are the people for whom that 10K is their life's savings. It's just awful.

I didn't get a chance to show the spray to Gary yesterday but I will today, ty again!!!
I think that is a great strategy to not work on "stuff" on the weekends. Or only on a few specific days a week. You need those breaks to recharge. I can't imagine that there is anything so time-sensitive that a few days will make a difference. *Your* mental health and stress levels are more important the all of that paperwork.

@taxed4ever Thanks for the hugs for my parents. Please tell your ILs to be super careful too. Looking back, my dad sees every red flag and knows better but in that moment, it was so emotionally charged, it all went out the window. Scott was telling me on Sunday that there is an upgraded scam going around-- a call from jail, requesting bail from a grandchild but they use AI to recreate the "kid's" voice. What grandparent is going to ignore their grandchild's plea for help?


The mini-vaca sounds wonderful, so happy that you both had a relaxing time away! Ha! I'd want to eat at Goats on the Roof just for the name
OH WOW!!!!!!!!!! Good vibes coming your way to you and the ILs!! I hope everything works out for everyone!

Hugs!

 

[taxed4ever]

Morning ladies... I never made it back here yesterday, but for good reason. I spent a lot of my day on the phone with the In-Laws. FIL is wound up like a top over what they need to sell throw out or donate. I must have told him a thousand times to not worry about that yet, you house is not even officially sold yet . He even asked at one point if we thought the owners of the new house would mind if he brought lumber there so he could start working on some ramps for MIL to get in and out of the house with her walker !! This is going to be a really difficult transition for all of us . This morning we get delivery of DH's new Lazy Boy recliner, so I have to move the car out of the garage so they can bring it up the driveway and into the house through the garage. The stairs are sheer ice this morning and I don't want anyone coming up those stairs and breaking a leg or worse. So off I go before Heather calls and I promise I will be back for personals in a bit.

 

[BrightEyes]

Been up for awhile but just spend almost an hour talking to DGD#1. So good to get caught up on her and her family and other family members. Also all about the family trip planned for March to visit with her dad's side of the family.

It is warmer... in the 40's at night but going up into the high 60's in the afternoon. Yes, the winds are blowing strong and will be worse today. Glad my neighbor helped when he did as it was really blowing just after he left. Going to be worse today. I didn't run errands yesterday and not sure I will try to do that today either. I need to double check if I have all the tax paperwork together and get them copied. Then drop them off at the tax preparer's office.

@faerywings So sorry that the scammers hit your parents. BTW, the scam about grandchild calling is an old one... got several of those calls at least 5-6 years ago. I use caller-ID and let unknown callers go to voice mail. I feel your pain over what happened and think the bank should take more active steps if/when a customer asked for a large withdrawal. Sorry the weather was so bad when you had to drive there.

@taxed4ever Oh... it sounds like it is going to be a challenge with the in-laws if and until the sale/buy of the houses are complete. Sorry about the icy conditions especially with the delivery of the recliner today.

Got a couple of the Spring Big Bundle LOs uploaded. There are a couple more I want to work with while the bundle sale is going on. Off to get more CYL

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Good afternoon,

I saw some signs of spring yesterday. Way down in the leaves, I saw new sprouts on my Day Lillies, my Zebra Grass has new "tufts" on it and there are buds on our Cherry Tree. It's currently 79 but with lows still in the 50's. The middle of the week is going to cool down for a couple of days with a high of 52 and a low of 31. It should only last a couple of days. Hey, I'll take 80's in February/almost March. This is more typical for us.
I had a bad night again last night. Just could not fall asleep. I hate that but at least, thanks to my new magnesium flake spray, my legs didn't start up. I absolutely hate it when I can't fall asleep. I've suffered with this for so long - my entire life, actually. The doctor does give me a prescription sleeping pill, but there are nights that it doesn't do a thing. When Daisy slept with Chuck, I'd just get up and get on my computer until I got sleepy. Now my computer is in the other room and if I get up, Daisy gets up then the cat gets up - i yi yi. Then I have to go through the whole "going to bed routine" all over again.

Daisy has terrible separation anxiety since Chuck passed away. She literally won't let me out of her sight.

Chris @faerywings I just can't get over what happened to your parents. So, they went to their regular bank and pulled out that large amount of money? With all of the known scamming going on, somebody should have intervened. I'm sure your parents have never done anything like this before. That's a LOT of money! The teller could have kindly asked them if they were going on a big trip, or something like that, to get the conversation going. Back in "the day" there wouldn't have been any questions asked. This is a different world. It's just awful!

The first thing the banking/social security/any organization tells us is that they will NEVER ask for sensitive information over the phone. If they do it's a scam. Every piece of mail I receive from Social Security/Insurance/whatever has "Beware of Scam Alert" in red on the back of the envelope. About the AI voice scam - they're telling everybody with kids/grandkids to have a code word. The scammer will not know that word. Way back in the horse and buggy days, we had a code word because I was paranoid that one of our kids would be kidnapped. Everybody needs to do that again. If you get a scam request on your computer, just hover over the sender's email address. If it's really long and funky looking, it's a scam. They also misspell words and use them in the wrong context. Most of these scams come from Africa, too. I've gotten "spam mail" from legitimate companies, even Amazon. They all have scam report lines - do not open the spam email - forward it directly to the company's spam alert email. Okay, getting down off my soapbox.

OK, now I need a nap.

Hugs to everybody and Happy Tuesday.
XOXO

 

[taxed4ever]

Well it took awhile but I am back. Lazy Boy is put in its place and the old one was carried down by the guys, so nice that DH and I don't have to deal with that! Had a nice face time with Heather she is still not over her bad cold and laryngitis but she is feeling much better than she did a few days ago.

@faerywings - I really hope that your parents will be able to re-coup their money!! That is a huge amount to lose forever! Why are there so many awful people in the world?? Why do they not have any kind of a conscience at all?? It all makes me so very sad!! Well the offer was accepted for the house across the street, so it is basically theirs as of the 31st of May, now we keep our fingers crossed that the financing goes through for the people buying the in-laws place. They all seem to think that there won't be any problems, but you never know right?! So it looks like we will have the In-Laws as neighbours and I think it will be the best for everyone!! There will be a lot of work coming in the next few months and hopefully this move doesn't kill them! FIL is so wound up we are all worried he will have a heart attack!! He needs to chill a bit. I hope that you have a better day today and that you get caught up on what you need to do, but don't overdo it my friend, you have to take care of yourself too.

@BrightEyes- Sure sounds windy where you are and I am so glad that you had such great help getting everything all tucked away from the winds! How nice to have such a long conversation with DGD#1! Hope you enjoy your scrapping today! Wish I had some time to work with those products, but its another busy afternoon for me and I need to get to the grocery store before the snow starts falling again. Ugh another blast of winter for us!

@Cherylndesigns - So sorry that you are having such trouble falling asleep at night! I have no problem falling asleep, just can't stay asleep through the whole night. There are buds on all of our bushes and trees here, but its too early and we are now getting another blast of winter this week, poor plants won't know what is going on! So sad that Daisy is having such separation anxiety, hopefully she gets better with time! Hope you get a good nap in!! .

Well it is now time to get some lunch for my Gary and the snow has started to fall, so we will see if I get to the store or not.

 

[BrightEyes]

Oh, what a busy day this has been!!! Got a phone call from DD#1 as I was getting ready to have lunch... ended up talking almost an hour with her. Her DH will be coming here in mid-April for a Continuing Ed sessions and will stay with me the night before it begins. Hoorah! Always glad to have him come. Then I decided to call a broker to find out why I haven't received the tax info... turns out they are late sending them out!!! I should get it within a week. Then called my tax preparer and discovered I had to turn in the packet by 2/29 to be sure they are done by April 15th. She said that I could turn it in before the missing form comes in and get it to them as soon as it arrives. Took almost an hour to copy the tax 1099 and other tax papers and get everything put together correctly. So... will be going cross town tomorrow morning to get that done.

Will stop by the car dealership to get the oil change warning reset on the way home. And a stop at the grocery store... and may even look for a camera as long as I am out. Now I want to go put my feet up and read for awhile. Have to LOL as it turned into an unplanned PJ day for me.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I'm popping back in, too. All back from the doctor - it was just for a med check so I was in and out. It was my first time without Chuck, so Ava wanted to go with me - she's so sweet. She was hungry afterwards so we went to McDonald's and she had a cheeseburger and I had a fish sandwich. I was thrilled because I had only gained not quite 3 pounds since my last visit. I haven't told you girls but I have been eating a lot and was afraid I had gained like ten pounds. I have a scale and need to start weighing myself. I know it's stress and grief eating, and I'll get it under control but right now I'm just not worrying about it. I'm going to try to start working out again this week but here it is Tuesday evening, and I haven't started yet. Everybody tells me I'm being too hard on myself and I suppose I am.

Trudy, yay for the new recliner! What color/fabric did you get? I love mine and it's super comfortable. Maybe I should start sleeping in it when I can't fall asleep, except if the cat's in here, he'd be on top of me. I know you're right about Daisy - she is so anxious - and won't let me out of her sight. I don't know if it's that or if she feels like she has to protect me. The Pack Leader IS gone, after all. I'm the new Pack Leader now, but I don't think she's quite convinced.

Kay, you've sure had a busy day. We did, too - after McDonalds, we stopped at The Dollar General to get me a few staples. I was out of bread, my eggs were just past their expiration date, and I needed more Silk (almond milk) and yogurt. I hard boiled a bunch of eggs last night and they tasted fine to me. I think I'll make egg salad at some point this week.

Yesterday, I got a letter from Social Security and my virtual appointment to try to get my settlement is April 4th! They said, in the letter, that I might be able to speed the process up by going online to the Social Security website, so I'm going to start that process tonight. That way, I can do it at my own pace. I'm sure they'll need all of the documents uploaded - I don't know how else I'll be able to prove that I have a claim. We'll see. I also got a letter from Supplemental Insurance saying that if I got any bills (his supplemental has been cancelled by me) to submit them for payment. Of course, I'm getting bills already - mostly for lab work and anesthesia. Those are always the sneakers. Our supplemental covers all bills and we have no out of pocket, so I was glad to get that letter. The ball is rolling.

Well, that's it for now. I'm off to try to make a new siggy. I made one and didn't like it, so I need to make another one.

 

[vickyday]

Considering that I slept well last night I feel like I shouldn't be as drained as I am. OTOH, wow. What a crazy few days. *blinks*
My trip down to my parents was a little more stressful than I expected-- it was 29-30* and freezing rain the entire time. I know the roads like the back of my hand, having slid off them more than once in bad weather. *G*
I feel so bad for my parents, they went through hell with the scam. The scammers played every emotionally manipulative part they could- child porn charges/federal investigations/don't tell anyone in the family or they will be charged too. And this happened all in a few hours which meant my parents never had a chance to take a breath and *think.* They took out 10K in cash and were told to bring it to a Bitcoin ATM. And *poof* just like that it was gone. The scammers have been calling my parents on their cell phones and landline. I reported and blocked the numbers on their cells. Told them if they try on another # (and I think they will) to write down the number, and then report/block. These are people who don't understand tech at all.
The bank was another story and lemme tell you. I don't ever want to get on my SIL's bad side. I felt sort of bad for the bank officer at one point, she looked like she was going to cry. IMHO, I don't think she did anything wrong- she didn't have the knowledge and power to help. We finally got to speak to the actual branch manager who can't do anything to help recover the money. My parents took it out voluntarily and the teller asked the security questions (Would you prefer this in a cashier's check?" etc) but of course, the scammers had prepared them how to answer. But she was able to get a case number for the internal report so if Chase calls them, they will know that it is Chase Bank, not someone pretending to be.
I ran every scan and malware search on my dad's laptop and brought it home so Gary could get a better look at it.

The police have everything up to date- the scammers sent them QR codes to use so the police have them now, Kathy was able to get them off my dad's phone and forward them to the Officer on the case. My poor parents don't even know what QR codes are or how to use them. I showed them at a restaurant for the menu once and they understandably prefer old-school paper menus LOL

As of right now, I think my parents are holding on to a sliver of hope they will get the money back but realistically they know it's long gone.
Kathy and I both talked to the bank about some better prevention measures that the bank can take. We know that legally they can't refuse to give out cash to a customer but maybe they can be trained to ask more specific questions.

Anyway, that's the stripped-down version of the story. I got home right around 4.30 and had some cheese and crackers and a glass of wine for dinner.
Today I need to get my head on straight. I have so many things I need to work on and for the last two days, my only thoughts have been on my parents.

Wish me luck!

xo

Oh, that is just awful and so sad. I hate that they had to go through that!

 

[vickyday]

I reread my post and I feel like I am all over the place. At least it is better and more coherent than the email I sent to BFF yesterday. I don't think it would have qualified as English. She writes and copy edits for a school district and she must have been horrified by my grammar/spelling/general mismanagement of language hahaha!

@BrightEyes Do you have the right calendar set today? I almost wrote March in the subject line up there. I wish!
I hope that the winds aren't too bad and nothing blows over. Seems like you have the patio ready to go.
Did you get a new SD card or camera?


@vickyday good luck with the nystatin, hope it clears everything up soon. Can you take Excedrin for your head? That has caffeine and can help with the withdrawal part of your headache. A PJ day sounds wonderful! Hope you relaxed and feel lots better today!

@bcgal00 Have a wonderful trip! Good luck and be safe. ♥
Yup- the new president is the "chainsaw guy." He campaigned on cutting the budget and govt spending and had a chainsaw as a prop at his rallies.

@Cherylndesigns you are completely right, the scammers are ahead of the game every time which is why SIL and I thought that the banks need to step up their "security." They have laminated cards on the lobby desks that list the warning signs of a scam. I suggested that the tellers keep one in a frame/stand and if an elderly person is requesting a large cash withdrawal- push the list in front of them to read before they process the transaction. Maybe by the time the person gets to the bottom of the list, enough alarm bells will go off before they complete the withdrawal. My parents were told to not say anything to the bank or the tellers because *they* were being investigated internally. (My parents thought they were talking to the bank security division). And no surprise, each person we spoke to had several stories of their family members or themselves being scammed, or very close to it..
All I can think of are the people for whom that 10K is their life's savings. It's just awful.

I didn't get a chance to show the spray to Gary yesterday but I will today, ty again!!!
I think that is a great strategy to not work on "stuff" on the weekends. Or only on a few specific days a week. You need those breaks to recharge. I can't imagine that there is anything so time-sensitive that a few days will make a difference. *Your* mental health and stress levels are more important the all of that paperwork.

@taxed4ever Thanks for the hugs for my parents. Please tell your ILs to be super careful too. Looking back, my dad sees every red flag and knows better but in that moment, it was so emotionally charged, it all went out the window. Scott was telling me on Sunday that there is an upgraded scam going around-- a call from jail, requesting bail from a grandchild but they use AI to recreate the "kid's" voice. What grandparent is going to ignore their grandchild's plea for help?


The mini-vaca sounds wonderful, so happy that you both had a relaxing time away! Ha! I'd want to eat at Goats on the Roof just for the name
OH WOW!!!!!!!!!! Good vibes coming your way to you and the ILs!! I hope everything works out for everyone!

Hugs!

Unfortunately, I cannot take Excedrin. But I'm about over the headaches now. It has been 3 days without sugar and caffeine. Yesterday's pj day was wonderful. I was feeling better by late afternoon. I hope the nystatin works this time, too! But, just from what it has done so far, I'm thinking it still isn't going to get rid of it completely!

 

[vickyday]

Good afternoon,

I saw some signs of spring yesterday. Way down in the leaves, I saw new sprouts on my Day Lillies, my Zebra Grass has new "tufts" on it and there are buds on our Cherry Tree. It's currently 79 but with lows still in the 50's. The middle of the week is going to cool down for a couple of days with a high of 52 and a low of 31. It should only last a couple of days. Hey, I'll take 80's in February/almost March. This is more typical for us.
I had a bad night again last night. Just could not fall asleep. I hate that but at least, thanks to my new magnesium flake spray, my legs didn't start up. I absolutely hate it when I can't fall asleep. I've suffered with this for so long - my entire life, actually. The doctor does give me a prescription sleeping pill, but there are nights that it doesn't do a thing. When Daisy slept with Chuck, I'd just get up and get on my computer until I got sleepy. Now my computer is in the other room and if I get up, Daisy gets up then the cat gets up - i yi yi. Then I have to go through the whole "going to bed routine" all over again.

Daisy has terrible separation anxiety since Chuck passed away. She literally won't let me out of her sight.

Chris @faerywings I just can't get over what happened to your parents. So, they went to their regular bank and pulled out that large amount of money? With all of the known scamming going on, somebody should have intervened. I'm sure your parents have never done anything like this before. That's a LOT of money! The teller could have kindly asked them if they were going on a big trip, or something like that, to get the conversation going. Back in "the day" there wouldn't have been any questions asked. This is a different world. It's just awful!

The first thing the banking/social security/any organization tells us is that they will NEVER ask for sensitive information over the phone. If they do it's a scam. Every piece of mail I receive from Social Security/Insurance/whatever has "Beware of Scam Alert" in red on the back of the envelope. About the AI voice scam - they're telling everybody with kids/grandkids to have a code word. The scammer will not know that word. Way back in the horse and buggy days, we had a code word because I was paranoid that one of our kids would be kidnapped. Everybody needs to do that again. If you get a scam request on your computer, just hover over the sender's email address. If it's really long and funky looking, it's a scam. They also misspell words and use them in the wrong context. Most of these scams come from Africa, too. I've gotten "spam mail" from legitimate companies, even Amazon. They all have scam report lines - do not open the spam email - forward it directly to the company's spam alert email. Okay, getting down off my soapbox.

OK, now I need a nap.

Hugs to everybody and Happy Tuesday.
XOXO

We have daffodils blooming! We are having warmer temps, too, and more sunshine than we had for awhile. But the rain came back today and it was chilly!
Sorry you are still having trouble sleeping!

 

[vickyday]

Oh, what a busy day this has been!!! Got a phone call from DD#1 as I was getting ready to have lunch... ended up talking almost an hour with her. Her DH will be coming here in mid-April for a Continuing Ed sessions and will stay with me the night before it begins. Hoorah! Always glad to have him come. Then I decided to call a broker to find out why I haven't received the tax info... turns out they are late sending them out!!! I should get it within a week. Then called my tax preparer and discovered I had to turn in the packet by 2/29 to be sure they are done by April 15th. She said that I could turn it in before the missing form comes in and get it to them as soon as it arrives. Took almost an hour to copy the tax 1099 and other tax papers and get everything put together correctly. So... will be going cross town tomorrow morning to get that done.

Will stop by the car dealership to get the oil change warning reset on the way home. And a stop at the grocery store... and may even look for a camera as long as I am out. Now I want to go put my feet up and read for awhile. Have to LOL as it turned into an unplanned PJ day for me.

Unplanned PJ days are always nice!

 

[vickyday]

Good Evening!
Well, I woke up not feeling quite so bummed out about the thrush.....even though it is no better. And since the nystatin did not totally get rid of it the first time, I don't expect it to this time, either. But I'll use all of the prescription before I complain to my PC.

The no-sugar-no-caffeine headache is much better today. So, I called Ilene and we went to lunch and then stopped by to see the new grandbaby. She is so cute! After visiting her we went back to Ilene's and played Qwirkle. I had to rest my back from her straight-backed chair, so we chit-chatted for awhile before playing some more Qwirkle. And then I headed home so I could fix Mark's supper.

So I'm beat after a long day. But it will be bedtime in a couple of hours.
Good Night to all!

 

[Cherylndesigns]

We have daffodils blooming! We are having warmer temps, too, and more sunshine than we had for awhile. But the rain came back today and it was chilly!
Sorry you are still having trouble sleeping!

Thanks, Vicky. I'm sure we'd have the early spring flowers blooming too, but I never plant those.